Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-03-02

SNOW BOUND At EAGLES
BY BRET HARTE.
Copyrighted by Houghton, MiYiin & Co., and
published by arrangement with them.]
CHAPTER VIII.

her room. Her face was quite pale, and she
held a letter in her hand "What does this
mean, Katep' .n
"What Is, the matteri' asked Kate, her own
color fading from her cheek
"They are gone-with their horses. Left
before day, and left this"
She banded Kate an open letter. The girl
took it burriedly, and read:
aWhen you get this we shall be no more;
perhaps not even as much. Ned found the
trail yesterday, and we are taking the first
advantage of it before day. We dared not
trust ourselves to say 'Good-by? last even
ine; we were TOO cowardly to face you this
morning; we must 60 us we came, without
warning, but not without regret. We leave
apackage and letter for your husband. 1t
Is not only our poor return for your gentle
ness and hospitality, but, since it was acci-
dentally the means Of giving US the pleasure
Of your society, we beg you to keep it in safe
ty until his return. We kiss your mothers
hands Ned wants to say something more,
but time presses, and l only allow him to
send his love to Minnie, and to tell her that
be is trying to find the red snow.
GEORGE LEE"
sBut he Is not fit to travel" said Mrs.
Hale. aAnd the trail-it may not be pass
able"
ut was passable the day before yesterday,
said Kate drearily, @for discovered it, and
went az far az the buckeyes"
~Then it was you who told them about it, :"
said Mrs. Hale reproachfully.
sNo," said Kate Indignantly. "Of course
didn't" She stopped, and, reading the sig
niAcance of her speech in the glistening eyes
of her sister, she blushed. Josephine kissed
her and said:
GIt ,pas treating US like children, Kate,
but we must make them pay for it hereafter.
For that package and letter to John means
something, and we shall probably see them
before long. I wonder what the letter is
about, and what is in the packagep
probably one of Mr.. Lees jokes. He is
quite capable of turning the whole thing into
ridicule / dare say he considers his visit
here prolonged jest"
sWith his poor leg, Kate, You are as un-
fair to him as you were to Falkner when they
first came"
Kate. however, kept her dark eyebrows
knitted in a piquant frown-
ITO think Of his intimating .Ohat he would
allow Falkner to say! And yet you believe
he has no evil influence over the young
man."
Mrs. Hale laughed "Where are you going
so fast, Katel" she called, mischievously, rs
the young lady founced out Of the room.
sWherea Why, to tidy Johns room. He
may be coming at any moment now. Or do
ron want to do it yourselfln .:.ssa
aNo, no, 4, returned Mrs. Hale, hurriedly,
ayou do It. I'll look in a little later on"
She turned away with sigh. The sun
was shining brilliantly outside. Through
the half-open blinds its long shafts seemed
to be searching the house for the lost guests,
and making the hollow shell appear doubly
empty. What contrast to the dear dark
days of mysterious seclusion and delicious
security, Lit by Lees laughter and the spark
ling hearth, which had passed so quickly.
The forgotten outer world seemed to have
returned to the house through those open
windows and awakened its dwellcrs from g
dream.
The morning seemed interminable, and it
was past noon, while they were deep in q
sympathetic conference with Mrs. Scott, who
had drawn a pathetic word picture Of the
two friends perishing In the snowdrift, with.
out fannels, brandy, smelling salts or jelly,
which they had forgotten, when they were
startled by the loud barking of Spot on the
lawn before the house. The women looked
hurriedly at each other.
"They have returned" said Mrs. Hale.
Kate ran to the window. A horseman was
approaching the house. A single glance
showed her that it was neither Falkner, Lee
nor Hale. but q stranger.
perhaps he brings some news Of them,"
said Mrs. Scott, quickly. So complete had
been their preoccupation with the loss Of
their guests that they could not yet conceive
of anything that did not pertain to it.
The stranger, who was at once usnered into
the parlor, was evidently disconnected by the
presence of the three women.
'Ireckoned to see John Hale yer, he began,
awkwarily.
A slight look OF disappointment passed
over their faces HE hos not yet returned"
said Mrs, Hale briefly.
"Sho! waiter know. He's he'd time to
do it, reckon" said the stranger.
II suppose he hasn't been able to get over
from the Summit returned Mrs. Hale. Tho
trail IS closed"
sIt amt now, for kcm over it this morn
In myself"
"You didn't-meet-any onea" asked
Mrs Hale timidly, with glance at the
others.
mo"
A long silence ensued. The unfortunate
visitor plainly perceived an evident abate-
ment of interest in himself, yet he still
struggled politely to say something. "Then
reckon you know what kept Hale awayl"
he said obviously.
"Oh, certainly-the stage robbery"
n wish I'd known that" said the stran-
ger reaectively, "for ez good ez rode over
list to tell it to ye. Ye see John Hale, he
sent note to ye 'splainin' matters by gen.
tleman; but the road agents tackled that
man, and left him for dead in the road"
eyes" said Mrs. Hale impatiently.
aLuckily he didn't die, but KEN to and man.
aged to crawl inter the bush, whar found
him when. was lookin' for stock, and brought
him to my house,
aYou found him3 Your houser interrupted
Mrs. Hale.
. aInter my house." continued the man dog
gedly. "Tm Thompson of Thompson's Pass
over yon: mebbe it amt much of house,
but brought him thar. Well, ez he couldn't
find the note that Hale had guv him, and like
ez not the road agents had gone through him
and got it, ez soon ez the weather let up
made break over yer to tell ye."
aYou say Mr.. Lee came to your house" re-
peated Mrs. Hale, "and is there now"
"Not much," said the man grimly; land l
never said Lee was thar. mean that Bilson
was shot by Lee and KEMP
sCertainly, Josephine" said Kate, suddenly
stepping between her sister and Thompson,
and turning upon her white face and eyes
Of silencing significance: "certainly-dont
you remember?-that's the story we got
from the Chinaman, you know. only mud
died. Go on, sir" she continued, turning to